In a stunning display of the contemporary art market’s unpredictability, Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic “Comedian” installation has fetched a staggering $6.2 million at Sotheby’s New York. This banana, duct-taped to a wall, has become one of the most expensive fruits ever sold, outbidding pre-sale estimates by a factor of four.
The buyer, Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, outmaneuvered six other bidders to acquire the piece. Sun has publicly declared his intention to consume the banana, stating, “In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience.”
This isn’t the first time “Comedian” has made headlines. The installation, first unveiled in 2019, has sparked global conversations about the nature of art and the value assigned to it. The work, which travels with instructions for replacing the banana as it deteriorates, has been the subject of several performance art incidents.
In 2023, a South Korean art student ate the banana on display at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art. The museum promptly replaced the fruit. Similarly, in 2019, a performance artist removed and consumed the banana from a “Comedian” installation at Art Basel Miami. Despite these incidents, the artwork’s value has only continued to rise.
Justin Sun, the buyer of this latest iteration, is the founder of the Tron blockchain network. He has been embroiled in controversy, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission accusing him of fraud in 2022. Sun denies these allegations.
